My Nishiki

Twenty eight years ago I hopped on a bicycle and rode it 4,000 miles around Europe.  It was a pivotal period of my life, not only for the travel and experience of seeing the many countries, but because my career became more focused after the three months sabbatical from work. 

I still have the bike and occasionally ride it, but mostly it sits in the back of the garage. It is a Nishiki model, which I now know is no longer produced. It's somewhat rusty, but still gives a decent ride. I've replaced the handlebars so I can sit more upright to protect a strained neck, but it is otherwise unchanged. 

When I was getting ready for the trip, I got a book called "Italian in 10 Minutes A Day".  The book came with a set of stickers with Italian words that you could fasten to an object so you would become familiar with its name.  So, you would put a sticker that said "tavolo" on a "table".  Remnants of the sticker that says "bicicletta" are still barely attached to the bicycle.  Just hanging by a thread, and unreadable, but I know what it says. 

There are racks above both the front and rear wheels which supported two sets of panniers to carry the 50 pound load on the trip. The photo to the right, shows it fully loaded as I was traveling along the Mediterranean coast in the south of France back then.

I carried the load over the Apennine mountains in Italy and the Alps in Switzerland. As I was going down a mountain pass in Austria, I put my head down and wanted to see how fast I could go.  A turn came a bit too quickly and I came within inches of going over the side.  I slowed down after that. 

The Avocat seat is rather worn now.  The black color is gone in spots.  It was never too comfortable but I didn't really have any problems with it.

Each country I stopped in, I bought a sticker as a souvenir that I had visited.  They line the tubes of the bike.  They are in the language of the nation, so Sweden is Sverge. Other countries stuck on there are Belgique, France, Lichtenstein, Italy, Schweitz, Österreich, Deutsch, Danmark, and the Nederland.  These stickers have passed the test of time.  They are in very good shape. 

A few years ago, I brought the old Nishiki into a shop for a tune up.  I thought they would be impressed with it.  But they weren't.  It was just another bike. A particularly old bike.  They said it was heavy, and I'm sure it is, compared to the bikes that are available now.  But, I don't need a new bike, and I don't want one.   I know this bike well. 

And, one thing that also remains the same is that, I am really really good at shifting its gears.